Best Little Green Bank in Texas

And what if that bank put people (small business, customers and the community) before profits? What if that bank’s vision for employees included job fulfillment by incorporating deeper meaning and purpose in their daily tasks?

Imagine that this bank is long-term focused and makes ethical practices core policy not just a PR show. Imagine that this little bank is not so little and has expanded to 13 branches throughout the state. And since you are daydreaming already, why not imagine the banking chain has grown 59% right through the recession and manages assets exceeding $1billion.

Now imagine this not-so-little community focused, environmentally sustainable banking chain is smack in the middle of Texas oil country! You can’t? Well, think again…Because, it’s real!

The Green Bank was birthed in early 2007 after a merger between Green Bancorp and Redstone Bank. Opening its doors at the start of the financial crisis, Green Bank’s model was formed on getting “right” what went wrong in the rest of America’s banking industry.

While “profit-at-any-cost” was the operating strategy for West Coast banking giants like Washington Mutual, Wachovia and Indy Mac and East Coast mammoths like Citigroup and Bank of America, Green Bank emerged with a socially and environmentally conscious model fit for the 21^st century.

It might be hard to believe that this model exists not in Burlington, Portland or Boulder, but in a dozen communities in Texas, including Dallas. We have our eye on this little green bank. It just might be the best (only) little green bank in Texas. We will keep you posted!

From Green Bank:

OUR PROMISE

We are committed to behave in a manner that ensures the fair treatment of our stakeholders and to be a company that routinely “does the right thing.”

We make these promises:

• To behave in an ethical manner in all transactions and interactions.
• To act in environmentally and socially-responsible ways to support and strengthen the communities where we operate.

OUR MISSION

Green Bank is equally committed to all of our stakeholders – customers, employees, communities and shareholders. We believe each of our constituencies is best served when all are served. Therefore, our mission is to:

• Help our clients achieve economic success and financial security.
• Create a place where our employees can learn, grow, prosper and be fulfilled in their work.
• Make the communities where we operate better places to live and work.
• Optimize the long-term return to our shareholders, while providing a safe and sound investment in a socially responsible and resource-efficient enterprise.

GOING FOR THE GREEN

A profitable partnership with the Earth Green Bank. In 2004, when we chose Green Bank as our name, environmentalism wasn’t part of our mindset. The “green movement” was starting to gain traction, but was viewed with skepticism by many. The scope of environmental destruction was undeniable, but solving it would require resources far beyond anything individuals alone could offer.

Our color choice was really just a simple branding idea. We wanted a name that would be simple and memorable, one that would get us noticed among a clutter of painfully generic names. Green happened to be the color of money, so that was good. But the idea that it might appeal to environmentally-minded folks was almost an afterthought.

When we opened our doors, our name perhaps seemed odd. Today it doesn’t. What happened? Icebergs melted. Climate change was finally recognized by the scientific community and folks on the street. And the green movement shifted from the fringe to the mainstream.

And, at Green Bank, something else changed. Finally, we got it. Not because environmentalism became popular, but because, it became real to us. While the scientists continue to argue whether climate change is primarily a by-product of human activity or not, it became clear to us that tailpipe and smokestack clouds are bad and resources of every sort are finite.

GREEN GOES VIRAL

While we were waking up to these issues, a sense of urgency was reaching a critical mass worldwide. Suddenly, it didn’t seem futile to be part of an initiative that promoted environmental responsibility. We could, in fact, help save those oceans we once saw as a tragedy beyond repair. We could reduce waste and make a difference – because the rest of the world would be doing the same.

And businesses, the good and bad ground zero of environmental change started incorporating the environment into strategic thinking. Why? Because customers were asking for it and employees were embracing it. It was smart public relations and political insurance. It was the right thing to do. And – here’s the fun part for any business – it would save money.

The green pathway for businesses was opening up because environmental responsibility was becoming embedded in the core values of its owners, its customers, and its employees. It became clear that these businesses would be replacing resource-wasting assets with resource-neutral assets. And that’s when real change would begin to bear fruit.

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Our goal is for Green Bank to be the bank that local businesses and consumers turn to first for good financial solutions that are environmentally responsible. That combination of customer attributes in Green Bank’s local markets is growing at the same rapid pace that environmental responsibility is imbedding in everyday core values. We want to be their ground zero. As they grow, Green Bank grows. That’s good for shareholders. That’s good for our customers. That’s good for our employees. That’s good for the Earth.

 

Tags: dallas, environment, green, green bank, socially responsible, sustainable, Texas

Category: social banks, Sustainable Small-B